Expressive Arts as a Way of Making Meaning and Gaining Insight: An Eastern Perspective with the “Mind”
Creative Arts in Education and Therapy February 1, 2021 DOI: 10.15212/caet/2020/6/4 via OpenAlex
Summary
Drawing on Buddhist psychology, specifically the theory of five ever-present mental states, this article argues that art-making increases the capacity for intuitive thinking and connects feelings with logical thinking within expressive arts therapy. Part I proposes how this framework can enhance internal space for processing emotion and cognition. Part II describes a series of workshops called 'Expressive Arts as Inquiry' held in Hong Kong for adults from diverse backgrounds. Two case studies illustrate how the art-making process led participants to new ways of thinking, awareness of their mental states, and sense-making through art.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper with case studies Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 2 |
| Population | Adult participants in an expressive arts workshop in Hong Kong |
| Keywords | The arts Meaning existential Perspective graphical Feeling Meaning-making |
| Key finding | Art-making within an expressive arts therapy framework, viewed through Buddhist psychology, can shift participants' perspectives and foster new meaning and insight. |
Abstract
Creative Arts Educ Ther (2020) 6(2):141–152 DOI: 10.15212/CAET/2020/6/4 Expressive Arts as a Way of Making Meaning and Gaining Insight: An Eastern Perspective with the “Mind” 從東方思想探討表達藝術作為尋找意義與洞見的方式 Abstract This article includes two parts. Part I attempts to use one of the Buddhist psychology theories, “five ever-present mental states,” to illustrate how our mind is interconnected and propose how the act of art-making increases the capacity of intuitive thinking and connects feelings and logical thinking with the architecture of expressive arts therapy. Part II illustrates a series of expressive arts workshops, “Expressive Arts as Inquiry” launched for people who wanted to use art for processing, connection, and exploration of themselves in a community classroom for adults. Participants came from different backgrounds. Two case studies revealed how this art-making process brings change with each of them experiencing new ways of thinking/awareness of their different mental states and sense-making through art-making. Keywords: expressive arts therapy, Buddhist philosophy, perspective, mind, intuitive thinking 摘要 本文包括兩個部分。第一部分作者嘗試使用佛教心理學理論之一「五篇行心所」來說明我們的思想是如何互相連繫，並提出一個表達藝術治療如何增加直覺思維的論述：表達藝術治療如何增加我們的內在空間去處理情感和邏輯思維。第二部分作者描述了她在香港社區舉辦的一個名為「表達藝術探究」的工作坊。參加者來自不同的背景，參與的目的是透過藝術創作以連繫及探索自己。作者透過兩個案例研究描述表達藝術的過程是如何為個案的思維角度帶來改變，他們如何透過藝術創作獲得新的意義及洞見。 關鍵詞：表達藝術治療，佛教心理學，思維角度，直覺思維，意識